This invention relates to oil reclamation devices which are used with internal combustion engines to remove solid contaminates and water or other volatile contaminates from the engine lubricating oils. More particularly, the invention relates to a unique evaporation chamber configuration and a unique filter assembly.
Oil reclamation devices of the type disclosed and described herein are generally well known. These devices are used to remove both solid and liquid contaminates from the lubricating oil. It is well known that oil in and of itself does not "wear out." Once the solid and vapor contaminates are removed therefrom, the oil is substantially reconditioned and remains in a most useful state.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,839,196, 3,616,885 and 3,915,860 disclose generally the state of the prior art structures of this type. Peru Patent No. 13849 dated Feb. 28, 1977, also discloses an oil reclamation device of the type described herein. The oil being treated is introduced in these known devices over the expanse of the evaporator plate into the evaporation chamber. This has been found to be greatly inefficient because not all of the oil is treated in substantially the same way with similar conditions. That is, the amount of exposure to heat in the evaporation chamber cannot be controlled. Furthermore, the amount of oil moving through the passageways in the evaporator plate cannot be controlled in such a configuration.
In the instance where there are downwardly extending fins, as shown in the Peruvian patent, the resultant structure does not in any way control the flow of the oil being treated in the evaporation chamber. It has been found that if there is a slight tipping of the overall device upon installation, that the operation of the reclamation assembly is extremely inefficient.